NCAA Power 16 Rankings

There are no such rankings (at least that I’m aware of), but Oregon and Miami would be two solid candidates to sit atop any national “Most Surprising Teams” Top 25.

The Ducks are sitting (relatively) comfortably atop the Pac 12 standings (at 6-0 in conference and 18-2 overall) while Miami is looking down at the ACC (6-0 and 15-3).

And Mississippi (6-0 in the SEC and 18-2 overall) would be in that mix, as well.

The very best of the games this week include: Monday – Louisville at Pittsburgh; Tuesday – Wisconsin at Ohio State, Kentucky at Mississippi and North Carolina State at Virginia; Wednesday – Indiana at Purdue; Thursday – Arizona at Washington, Butler at Saint Louis and Illinois at Michigan State; Saturday – Michigan at Indiana, Oklahoma State at Kansas, Mississippi at Florida, Syracuse at Pittsburgh, Oregon at California, Miami at North Carolina State, Sunday – Marquette at Louisville.

Rank (Last Week)

Record

Comment

1.Michigan (2)

19-1

If the Wolverines are still in this spot a week from now, it means they came away from Bloomington Saturday with a victory and that would indeed be impressive.

2. Kansas (6)

18-1

The last time this team lost, we were 2 ½ months younger and all of those presidential election ads were fresh in our minds.

3. Indiana (1)

18-2

Things are always tough in the Big Ten but it’s especially difficult sledding over next four games for Hoosiers: at Purdue (Wednesday), home to Michigan (Saturday) and at Illinois (Feb. 7) and Ohio State (Feb. 10).

4. Syracuse (4)

18-2

Not a good stat – PG Michael Carter-Williams has 16 turnovers over the past three games.

5. Gonzaga (7)

19-2

Is this the best-ever Bulldogs’ defense? The other WCC coaches might tend to suggest that’s the case.

6. Florida (12)

16-2

This is the season in which the Mississippi at Florida game (Saturday, in this case) is a huge deal, and not just within the SEC.

7. Duke (3)

17-2

Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon is 11 of 18 behind the arc over past three games.

8. Oregon (NR)

18-2

Dana Altman is the front-runner for COY honors in the Pac 12 – and maybe beyond, as well.

9. Butler (9)

14-2

Rotnei Clarke’s return from a sore neck couldn’t come soon enough for the Bulldogs – he had 24 points and nine assists in the 83-71 A-10 win over Temple in Indy Saturday.

10. Louisville (5)

17-3

Cardinals are at home for next two games against Pittsburgh and Marquette – not the easiest way to snap a three-game losing streak in the Big East.

11. Arizona (8)

16-4

The Wildcats trail Oregon by two games in the loss column – and don’t get the Ducks in Tucson this season.

12. Ohio State (11)

17-2

The Buckeyes have only one bad loss and that’s by margin of defeat (19 at Illinois).

13. Michigan State (NR)

15-4

Coach Mark Gottfried’s crew looked every bit the part of the best team in the ACC Saturday afternoon against Duke.

14. Miami (NR)

17-4

Junior Adreian Payne has snuck up on us and finally become a very good post player.

15. Wichita State (NR)

15-3

Yes, the ‘Canes’ administration made a wise move in luring Jim Larranaga to Coral Gables.

16. North Carolina State (14)

16-4

OK, what is the “real” NCAA team, the one that handled Duke and UNC in Raleigh or the lost gut-cutters at Maryland and Wake Forest? The answer, of course, is “somewhere in between”.

TEAMS: Villanova – Recorded wins over Louisville and Syracuse (11 and 4, respectively, in this week’s ratings); Arizona State – Edged USC in overtime (98-93) then pulled away for a 78-60 win over UCLA (which was coming off an 11-point victory at Arizona); Miami – Had a couple of lopsided ACC victories at home (by 27 points over Duke and 24 over Florida State); LaSalle – Picked up Atlantic 10 victories over Butler in Philadelphia and VCU in Richmond; Gonzaga – Improved to 6-0 in the WCC with a 20-point victory over BYU (holding one of the nation’s best scorers, Tyler Haws, to zero-for-nine from the field) and 14-point decision against USF.

DeAngelo Harrison (St. John’s). The sophomore guard averaged 22 points, with 5 rebounds and two assists, during his team’s Big East wins against Seton Hall and Rutgers.

Shane Larkin (Miami). The senior playmaker had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists during the Hurricanes’ 90-63 blowout over Duke, then chipped in with eight points, nine rebounds and six assists as his team coasted to a 71-47 victory over Florida State .

Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga), The junior 7-footer, who red-shirted last season, was nine-for-nine from the field and eight-of-eight from the free-throw line for 26 points, with nine rebounds, five assist and a block in the 83-63 WCC victory against BYU, then had 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot during the 66-52 win against USF. On the season he is shooting .658 from the field and .817 from the free-throw line.
Frank Burlison has been covering hoops for 30+ years for a variety of publications.